I was very close to the signature page of my diary and since it was the last week of October I was anticipating I would not have to run for stationary before the new year eve.With calculated amount of coffee in my drawer I lay still surfing YouTube when my mood is disrupted by a not so frequent call.I received a warm call from home and no sooner had I learnt the recent chalking of our Himachal trip being scheduled than I had pulled out the coffee jar into the dustbin.Well,cozy family time was and will always be preferred over solitary comfort confined to the corners of my single bed and laptop .So without further adieu ,bags were packed and enthusiasm was geared for the trip that promised loads to us and a bucketful to me in particular.
I would particularly like to throw light on a part of my Himachal excursion which attracted me the most. After a journey of about 8 hours from Manali ,in the 12 seater bus that we had taken along for our trip, we happened to reach Dalhousie at 8:30 pm. It did not take much long to find a decent hotel to spend a couple of days. Yes, that is what local tour guides in Dalhousie say: A stay of 2 days is sufficient to explore this place to the fullest. Two main spots to visit here are Kalatop & Kalatop forest and Khajjiar. This mesmerizing scenic beauty became a favourite shooting spot of Bollywood. Many Hindi films, including 1942: A Love Story, Vinashak, Gadar, 2013: Lootera(at Kalatop), were filmed here. Having taken refuge at Hotel The Spring, we started feeling the pang of hunger. The freshly cooked delicious hot meal served at this hour of night could not be a better alleviation for our tired bodies. The pleasure in traveling consists of the obstacles, the fatigue. What charm can anyone find in an excursion where he finds all the ease and comfort he can enjoy in his own home. Amidst the jam-packed bus, we were all set to head-start our day and long lost stories from past that were being served with spice and gossip. A short drive of 45 minutes had put us in the considerable heartbeat of Himachal which locally goes by the name of Khajjiar. Guarded with an endless stretch of cliffs and mountains,aesthetically essenced with screeping conifers,with a soil that blessed almost every plantation and a sky who would call for Shakespeare to vividify what it conveyed,Khajjiar did an absolute justice to being the Switzerland for India.
My surroundings had engulfed my attention to an extent that google had to be my guide .It mesmerised me to be in a circular 5 km region that concentrated into itself the entire vitality of the area.Like other aesthetic wonders of Himachal that accounted to 9.75% of tourism GDP, Khajjiar had it’s own drop-beat to discover .Willy blazer,vice chancellor and head of chancery for Switzerland had rightly labelled Khajjiar as one of its minions like the rest 160 places in the world likely.But unlike the previous places loaded with traditions and mouthwatering cuisines,this tiny saucer shaped plateau within the lush meadows had not much to offer .The high altitude and scarce transportation benefits offered us less on flavour cravings.Nevertheless,negating economic drawbacks,the adventurous quotient of Khajjiar was breathtaking.
I have been a witness to jaw-dropping ventures of soaring on a sky-scraping ride that could nauseate even the healthiest for a moment.Looked and felt dangerously magical to move up and down a tower with a crazy velocity and unprecedented pattern.The next moment of recovery has so much in store beyond imagination.That was my n numbered attempt to ride a horse. Yes, I cant remember the count because for a traveller like me,riding on a horse’s back is not a prodigious activity. Yet, walking just sucked away my adrenaline and enthusiasm, so with a strong resolution and a promise from a trainer to keep me from death,I ranged at a relatively higher speed ,across the borders of the greenery through the forest and the pillar like trees.I admit hurting my bones and pelvis seamlessly the next morning but I presume for a college student benched for 6 hrs in a row,this was an out-of-the-box attempt which I proudly confirm to encounter voluntarily again. The horses had galloped ,and with it taken away my every remaining ounce of energy when i noticed rabbits on my mother’s head.It was seated like a crown prince in front of the camera,synchronised with the beaming smile of my mother.I made sure I was the next in this joint family venture where everyone posed as an ardent rodent lover.
Though it seems stupid and inarticulate to mature audience but being the age that the place and company demand has been my asset.I love to try the smallest of details,however insignificant just to fill in the pages of exciting life I have .The rabbits followed flower baskets and shimmery pahari costumes and that brings me to the best part of trips and making memories; “photographs”.They relate and convey.They bridge almost every gap over the years and between the clans irrespective of how weird and untidy it seemed when it got clicked.Crooked faces,jocular actions everything summed up in a 5X7 span of paper that portrays almost the whole of who we were and now relatively.Well ,literally,gathering dozens of those personified sketches is worth the wait and the pain. Just when the sun reached it’s pinnacle before it could set for the day and settle all the hustle,making the calm as quite and peaceful as William Wordsworth describes it to be,it was time for me to reflect upon what not was yet done enough to make myself a better appreciator of the great.Evidently,we had concluded to the aura of the most beautiful set of lives and hives explored. Khajjiar had taken just a plan and gifted a lifetime.places big or small,hunky dory or downtrodden,never fail to surprise because they are not divided by mentalities but just some invisible borders that travellers like us are oblivious to. Indeed, Mountains are the beginning and the end of all the natural scenery.
Plan a trip to grassy meadow Khajjiar called “Mini Switzerland of India” ad enjoy the grassy medows and dense forests. Don’t forget to share your travel experience in travel blogs.
Triund is the crown jewel of McleodGanj (a suburb of Dharamshala,Himachal Pradesh), situated in the laps of Dhauladhar mountains, it has the perfect view of the Dhauladhar mountains on one side and Kangra valley on the other.
Triund Trek in winters
Destination — Triund (Trek)
Difficulty -
Summers ( Mid March to November ) -
Easy Winters ( Mid — November to March ) -
Moderately Tough Trek can be done by first time trekkers (beginners) as well. Altitude — 2875m above sea level How to reach By airplane — Dharamshala has its own airport and one can check for flight availability online. The base city from where the trek starts is McleodGanj which can be reached by taking shared cabs/bus from Dharamshala. By train- There are direct trains from various stations to Pathankot and one can take a bus or a Toy train from Pathankot railway station to Dharamshala (Kangra if you take the toy train). The base city from where the trek starts is McleodGanj which can be reached by taking shared cabs/bus from Dharamshala. By bus — There are direct buses from Delhi to Dharamshala that run over night and would reach the destination by morning. If travelling by bus i would recommend taking sleeper bus because the chair seats are very uncomfortable and there is hardly in leg space. Recommended travel -
I personally would recommend train journey to Pathankot railway station. From there if travelling for the first time, you should take the Kangra toy train and even though it takes a few hours more than bus, the journey is worthwhile. The toy train can be boarded from Pathankot Railway station ( Please do remember that there are two railway stations in Pathankot, Pathankot Cantt. and Pathankot Station. The toy train runs from Pathankot Station and to reach Dharmashala, one can go upto Kangra Mandir station and take bus from there to Dharamshala). The ticket for toy train can be bought from the railway station itself. While travelling back from your adventure trip you can take bus from Dharamshala/McleodGanj to Pathankot which takes almost 5 hours and departs at around 4–5pm from Dharamshala. Adventure equipment and other things required for the trek. Summer — Light clothes including a few jackets incase you feel a bit cold up on the Triund Hill. Trekking shoes are recommended. Camping Tent — One can easily camp on the hill during summers. There is ample space to set up your own camp. You will definitely find fellow travellers camping and having a gala time up there. Winters — Winter are very cold on Triund. Temperatures can go as low as -15C at night. Heavy clothes with down jackets are a must. Layers of clothes including thermals are also extremely important. Water proof trekking shoes are needed along with gaiters(not compulsory). Camping is not recommended(You can stay at guest house if you like). You will find few fellow travellers on the trek but most of them would do day trip to Triund and head back during the evening. I did my travel along with a friend of mine in December with temperature at -12C at night and snowfall at Triund. :D Our journey started from Delhi Railway station and after spending the night in the train we reached Pathankot Railway Station on 19th December
(Day1). Yup that’s me rucksacks ready, prepared for the worst xD
Day 1 — The train journey was a bit tiring but we had slept enough to take another train — Toy Train to Kangra. Toy Train started from the Pathankot railway station and going through the city for about 20mins the joy ride actually started. The toy train route is beautiful. Going through a few tunnels, over clear waters, it felt incredible and you could easily feel the freshness in the cold air while going up.The train takes stops at small junctions used mostly by locals. Even though it is a tiring journey but it is worthwhile and I would definitely recommend to take the toy train at least once if travelling to Triund. Toy Train Joy Ride
View from a local station where the train stops for a while on-route to Kangra
We reached Kangra station by 5pm and after walking almost a km we reached the bus stop to board the Dharamshala bus. Our plan was to start the trek the very next day and travel in and around Dharamshala/McleodGanj after the trek. Even though the temperatures were below 0C on Triund we had made the decision to stay up on the hill for a night and head down the next day. In order to stay up at the hill, one can either take private guest house or opt for the Forest Department Guest house. Since the private guest houses were only providing stay to those who took there travel packages, we decided to take the Forest dept. guest house. To stay at the guest house you need to take a Stay Permit from Forest Dept. office down in Dharamshala (You can book the room on phone as well but you will still need the permit whose copy is to be submitted to the caretaker at guest house up on Triund). As we reached Dharamshala we straightaway went to the office hoping to get the permit that day itself but it was already 6pm and the office was already closed. The caretaker of the office told us to come in the morning at 10pm and get the permit.
Day 2 — After spending the night at a hotel, we woke up early and reached the office at 9pm to get the permit.After waiting for almost an hour the officer arrived but by then we had decided to start the trek next day and instead visit the Dalai lama Monastery in McleodGanj and explore the nearby areas. The officer issued us the permit and warned us about the harsh weather conditions coming our way and even suggested to do the trek same day if possible(probably trying to scare us :P) but we stood firm, took the permit and left for McleodGanj. We reached McleodGanj by 12pm and checked into a hotel. Our plans were to explore the place but while walking towards the main square we saw a group of guys renting Scooters and bikes. Well one thing came to our minds “ awesome lets get a scooty, wander off and explore every place possible”. The rent was reasonable and with 2L of petrol, it costed us Rs700 and we got it till 9am next day. First we went to the Dalai Lama Monastery which was beautiful. It was quiet and peaceful and the inner chambers had a huge Buddha idol and a lot of manuscripts which were said to be the works and sayings of buddha himself. Picture are not supposed to be taken inside the monastery and although you will find some people disobeying the rules, I kindly ask you to not take pictures inside it. If travelling to McleodGanj visiting the monastery is very much recommended and you can even check with The Dalai Lama’s presence on their website and could even get a chance to meet him(You would have to go through a lot of security and submit id proofs and related stuff). “ Om mani padme hum “ Although our next plan was to go and get a look at our treks origin point (Gallu Devi Temple) but while do so we wandered off a bit, went off track and reached someplace we didn’t even know. It was peaceful and relentless. If you do so and just ride out to nowhere do remember the track you came from and beware of monkeys. There are a lot of them and they can easily outnumber you, although the aren’t seen to be a danger to the people but you better not mess with them specially when you are in their territory. On returning we stopped at Gallu Devi Temple (a shrine made by the locals) and this is where our trek was supposed to start. After returning back to main square (it was already 6pm), we walked around the market(McleodGanj market is famous all around for Buddhist articles and momos :P ) , even bought stuff for our family — singing bowl, a small buddha idol and some more stuff. There are ATMs in McleodGanj but I would recommend you to bring some cash as McleodGanj is quite a popular place and the ATMs run out of cash quite fast(we had to come back twice or thrice). You can buy Down Jackets in winters from McleodGanj market as well. In the picture, my friend Jai at McleodGanj market wearing a down jacket which he didn’t buy later. :P
Food : There are a lot of restaurants but i would personally recommend you to try out places offering traditional authentic dishes and even try the new food cause you never know when you’ll get to eat it again. We did the same. We had lunch at a tibetan cafe near the main square and for dinner we went to Carpe Diem, a wonderful restaurant which had almost all kinds of food( Mexican, French, Italian, Tibetan etc). Both of us ordered authentic food, which was super tasty. Even the looks of it were mouthwatering (don’t have a picture of it, sorry.. ) At about 10pm we reached back to out hotel, packed our bags for the trek the next day, and went to sleep. Sunset — McleodGanj
Day 3–7am, time to get ready, pooped :P , took warm baths, wore our trekking clothes and shoes, ate breakfast and got into our taxi at 9am which dropped us at out starting destination — Gallu Devi temple. Adrenaline running, pumped, spirits high, energy bar full, we started our trek at 10:30 am. The initial trek was easy, a stony wide path to walk on, it is well marked and easy to move on. The views from the trek we breathtaking right from the starting and continued to become more awesome and awesome as we moved up. Taking some breaks, stopping at intervals, enjoying the views, nature at its best, untouched scenery, everything was just as it was meant to be, absolutely pleasant and amazing :) We covered 2/3 of the trek in 3–4hours.We found few fellow travellers as well, made some friends along the way but most of them were doing a day trek and that was the moment we thought “ are we stupid staying up at the hill at such low temperatures” , the temperatures were dropping as went up, one could easily feel it, the coldness in the wind but we didn’t let the thoughts settle in and continued to move on. On our way up to Triund.
Preparations top-notch xD
Yup.. that’s the trekking track.. looks scary doesn’t it :P
On your way up, you will find a few cafe’s(best view, magic view cafes) from where you can buy snacks & water and the view from those cafes are quite spectacular.
The last 1/3rd part of the trek is tough. And here is where water proof trekking shoes are recommended.I had Forclaz Novadry. The shoes are sooo good that some fellow trekkers walked on my exact shoe prints that were left on hard ice, and even thanked me later saying it helped them complete the trek. :) Be careful while doing this part of the trek and move ahead slowly. If you don’t have trekking shoes, you can wear an extra pair of socks on top of your shoes to get a good grip and try walking on soft ice. One can easily slip on hard ice even with trekking shoes sometimes if not careful, so instead of walking on hard ice, look for snow(soft ice) on the sides of the track and walk on it, you will not slip on it for sure. Walking on this below track is tricky and just to cover these last parts of the trek it took us almost an hour & a half.
It was tough to trek on hard ice and scary when you see others slipping. Thanks to our shoes, they did great.
We knew our trek was over when we saw the view from the top. We straightaway went to our Forest Department guest house, kept our bags, got our gaiters on, boiled and ate the ready to eat food (you can find food on the hill top as well from a shop or ask the caretaker at the guest house but our preparations were top-notch, we didn’t leave anything for granted :P ) The room was nice, and apt according to the place. There were warm blankets but not warm enough for -12C, good we took our an extra blanket with us. Our room at Forest Department Guest House
View you will see when the trek ends and you reach the top xD
We finished all the chores and headed out quickly. (view from the outside of our room, at great heights… just 6000m less than Mt. Everest xD xP )
Triund left us speechless, and since it was off season and there weren’t many travellers,it was peaceful as we imagined it to be. It is paradise in every way possible. I’ll leave your judgment to the pictures :)
don’t know what we were trying to do :/ :D :P I guess we just love the snow too much ❤ xD
On the tip of Triund
The pictures speak for themselves.. I want to share more of them but going against my will, i will stop and leave Triund to be explored by you. Here is the last one for you :)
Nights at Triund are really cold specially in winters and I would recommend covering yourself nicely to stay warm, you could even sleep with your socks on and use extra clothes for more heat. The nights are beautiful, the moon shines bright and there is so much light that i could actually read a book sitting outside in the snow without using a flashlight. If it was not for the cold weather, I would have sat outside my room, looked at this peaceful place entire night under the starry sky.
Day 4 — We woke up early the next day, packed our bags, roamed around for the last time on Triund and left this Paradise hoping to come back some day and relive these moments again. We started our trek back down to McleodGanj. By noon we were back in city. We did lunch,rested for a while and then took the bus for Pathankot at 4pm. Our train was at 6am the next day so we spent the night at a hotel near the station.Took the train in the morning and were back home by the evening of 24th December.
This trip has been written down in my memories, the first adventure, the first trek, the start of travelling. This is where the journey ends, leaving the place for you to travel… Triund was one hell of an adventure for us, and it was just the begining for me. TRAVELLING LEAVES YOU SPEECHLESS, THEN TURNS YOU INTO A STORYTELLER. Hope I did justice to myself and you all. If you have any queries, leave a comment below, I’d surely respond. If you have any travel related queries or want to plan a travel, mail me at travelwithakshit@gmail.com Will be writing soon… Upcoming travel article : -12C to 30C in 15 days (From Triund to Beaches in Karnataka)
Planning a trip too? Post it in my trips page and ask memebers to join the trip. And share your thoughts on trip in travel blogs or travel forum.
Recently I visited McLeodganj- the ultimate destination for all the foodies and adventure lovers. Majorly inhibited by Tibetans, the hill station is famous for its Tibetan cuisine, in addition to Israeli and Mexican. One can try variety of restaurants and cafes from Main Square to Bhagsu Road and will never get disappointed. Each restaurant having its own speciality, I would tell you my favourites from a vegetarian’s point of view. Your must try bucket list should definitely consist of Carpe Diem on Main Square for the ambience of the place, and even more for their delicious wood-fire oven pizza, which goes well with a beer. It is a typical party destination, usually full of foreigners and you can feel the love in the atmosphere, with guitars in the background. Hungry much? Go to The Chocolate Log at the end of the Main Square for the yummiest North Indian Food, your evergreen paneers and butter naans, or try their delicious pastas. Do not forget to taste the beverages. My favourite one would be their Cafe Mocha. Yum yum.
Hill stations are quite famous for their momos, aren’t they? Try steamed or fried or tandoori, veg or non-veg momos at the Tibet Kitchen in Main Square, you’ll probably love them all, if you can compromise on your spice buds a little. Also, do fulfil your sweet cravings by grabbing a bite from Tibet Quality Bakery and The Pastry Shop, both on Main Square.
The Main Square has almost 100 restaurants, maybe even more, so I definitely couldn’t explore all of them in my four day trip. Do share about your McLeodganj food experience in the comments. Now the roads diverge from Main Square. The one towards Bhagsu Temple awaits you for more appetising food. Just a little distance walked and you see Nick’s Italian Kitchen to your right. Walk into this place for a wonderful pizza experience. Continue on the road and at the end of the main road, you’ll reach German Bakery, which is usually having a waiting if you go at peak hours. This is a cool place to hangout, the pebbled floor and the graffiti and posters on the walls making it an appealing hangout for youngsters. The place serves a variety of cuisines from Indian to Israeli to Mexican to Italian. The quantity of food in a single serving is quite huge, and so is the taste of the food. I ordered Mexican Mushroom Tacos and was already full upon eating off just half of my plate, but couldn’t resist the savoury food.
Next, walk towards the Bhagsu Waterfall and on trekking little above the waterfall, you’ll find Shiva Cafe. Starting with, this place has a pool. You can view the waterfall on one side and greenery all around. Where else would a person want to be if not here. The sculpture of Lord Shiva and many other pictures of gods adds another kind of essence to the place, and I’m not talking about religious essence, something magical. Moving to the food, it has every regular dish any cafe would serve and the food is spicy, and delightful. After walking a big distance for this happening place, do refresh yourself with the tasty lemonades they serve. The other road towards Dharamkot takes you to trekking, nothing special about the cafes on the way as they’ll just fulfil your hunger cravings, but trek to Triund is a must-do if you visit McLeodganj. You can find some good restaurants at Temple road too, just adjacent to the Main Square. Khana Nirvana is a quite famous one, though I haven’t tried eating there. Finally, when you are satisfied with your food experience at McLeodganj, it is time to pack your bags and come back home. Bon voyage!
Very few peopele know about Tibetan cuisine. Traditional Tibetan cuisine is mainly based on dairy products. Share your thought on travel blogs and travel forum of eChutti and let others know about best dishes to try in this cuisine.
Kolkata is slowly and very steadily emerging as a food lover’s paradise. It has a plethora of cuisines to offer, with new restaurants popping up in the city every other day. There are restaurants I’ve given a try, there are restaurants I’ve given a miss, and restaurants I’ve repeatedly gone back to every time I have had a craving for something delectable. This blog is for the third kind of restaurants, and some not-so-famous places, which hold a special corner in my heart and often, my entire stomach. Growing up in Kolkata, my first introduction to good food was through the lip-smacking dishes my grandmothers would prepare, a skill which my parents, aunts and uncles have all inherited. Being in a joint family, there was one thing my classmates had always been jealous of- the Sunday spread at my place. So I have to begin there. There may be many places, like 6 Ballygunge Place, and Saptapadi, which offer amazing Bengali fare. But at that fare, we could all eat lunch and dinner for a week (okay, I may be exaggerating a bit), and having a family full of food enthusiasts meant you never needed to look for restaurants serving Bengali cuisine. Some of the dishes that would forever be etched in my memory would be my thakuma’s ‘Shukto’, ‘Bhaapa Ilish’, ‘Mochar Ghonto’, ‘Kosha Mangsho’, ‘Chingri’r Malaai-Curry’, ‘Paayesh’. Why I mention these very difficult, jaw breaking names? Because justice will not be done to them if these were translated into English, which most people here would not understand, and a food crawl in Kolkata is incomplete without a visit to the house of a Bengali acquaintance and devouring these. Though, I must mention, Bengal is laced with the Ghoti-Bangal divide from the football maidan to the food plates, so you probably will not get Ilish Bhapa and Chingri’r Malai Curry in the same house. Surviving in Kolkata as a student is really easy too. No matter how broke you are, you’ll always have very delicious food to munch on. You’ll get phuchka, ghugni, churmur, jhaal-muri, shingara, kochuri, along with dosas, momos, dhoklas and pav bhaajis at every street corner. It’s a pocket friendly way to explore the entire of the country’s best street food. My most favourite street food would be phuchkas, at any street corner (not for the ones who are picky about hygiene) and Kolkata Kathi Rolls, especially the one available at Nizam’s. They might be available by that name across the country now, but they are all quite tasteless clones of these beauties. Kolkata is a meat lover’s paradise too. There are various steak joints and burger places which will leave you craving for more, like Chilli’s, Mocambo, Peter Cat, etc, besides the American food chains. But here, the potato emerges as the almighty. The proof of that is in the Kolkata style biriyani. The addition of aloo can really make all the difference, and it has triggered fights here, over which restaurant serves the best biriyani- Arsalan or Aminia, or if Lucknow or Hyderabad’s biriyani even comes close to the taste of our biriyani. Perhaps the best biriyani I have tasted is at a friend’s house, though Mumtaz mashi refuses to open a restaurant anytime soon. But biriyani doesn’t just start fights, it has started love stories too, one of them being my own. There are more biriyani lovers here than perhaps the entire nation put together. Speaking of influenced eating, the second most favourite cuisine adapted by Bengalis is Chinese. The Chinese here is far from authentic, for which you’d have to go to places like Mainland China or Chowman, and in its lesser known cousins through China Town near Tyangra, you’ll find Chinese (and Tibetan, Thai, and other Oriental cuisines which Bengalis tend to confuse often) best suited to the Bengali’s overly-sweetened taste buds. Mentioning sweet and Bengalis in the same sentence, it would be a cardinal sin if I didn’t mention that some of the best sweets in the world are available here. One of my friends, who recently came from Canada during her vacations, complained to me that their panna cota does not match up to our mishit doi. If you’re not diabetic yet, Kolkata’s roshogolla, various types of sandesh, mishit doi, mihidana, roshbhora, roshomolayi, malpoya, lyangcha, and I don’t know where to end this particular list, will definitely make you so. As if inventing the roshogolla (not rasgulla, please!) was not enough, we have also come up with baked roshogolla as a way to make the goodness better! There are lots of other things which you’d get in Bengal. It’s a culmination of cultures; of very sweet people, all living to eat. Come to Bengal, and we will show you how to eat “kobji dubiye” (dipped till the wrist).
Are you from Kolkata too? Share your favorite food joints on travel blogsand help other travelers to enjoy the same. To know more about Kolkata join Kolkata travel club.
There has never been a dearth of eating options in the area surrounding the DU North Campus. But it’s not very often when a standalone café makes a mark and sticks to its great reputation, even as new cafes keep coming up. Hudson Café captured my fancy for this reason.When I saw the queue of people waiting, I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, it made me look forward to my meal here even more! Although the area isn’t too big, this café is a happy place. You see perky colored furniture with a vintage finish, colorful wall art and a beautiful red chandelier, looking majestic yet quirky, right in the center. I think that red chandelier captures the spirit of the place perfectly. We were famished so we knew we would be able to try a few things here. Started with the Chocolate malt shake and Chocolate brownie & cookies shake for our kinda sweet beginnings. The malt used in the shake was sheer brilliance. That richness in taste was unsurpassable. The chocolate brownie and cookie shake, on the other hand, was a chunky shake with a very rich taste and creamy texture.The White sauce pasta with garlic bread was very delicious.The richness of cream, cheese and butter filled the palate and it was quite evident of the quality ingredients being used.
Got your favourite food destination too? share with all the members on travel blog page and help members enjoy.
Japan counts among the most developed and sophisticated countries of the world. Along with being excruciatingly clean and beautiful, the positive behaviour of the people here is a thing to behold. Japan’s history, culture and heritage are objects of admiration too.
There are a number of airlines which get you to Tokyo. Narita International Airport of Tokyo receives most international flights. Narita is an area on the outskirts of the city of Tokyo. The journey requires approximately 8 hours from here to the city. The Japanese are very particular about punctuality and time; therefore it is unlikely for the flight to be late. From the airport, there are many means of transport which one can use to reach Tokyo. I recommend using the train because it is considerably cheaper. It is imperative to buy a JR (Japan Railways) pass from your own country before leaving for Japan. The JR pass can be retrieved from the JR office in Narita Airport. Buying this pass saves tourists a huge amount of money. It provides access to a varied means of transport owned by Japan Railways which include rail, bus and also a ferry in Miyajima, Hiroshima. The Narita Express transports you to Tokyo station in about 53 minutes. The best period to visit Japan is in the month of April. The cherry blossom trees are in full bloom and the weather is pleasantly cool at this time. I suggest that you carry a good windcheater to shield yourself from the cold. While Shibuya and Shinjuku are your best options when it comes to tourist residences, Ginza area is not bad either. One could also consider staying in Bed and Breakfast homes if not hotels, which is also cheaper and will give you a hint of the conventional way of life here. During my visit to Tokyo, I stayed at a Bread and Breakfast apartment in Chuo- Ku area of Ginza. Tokyo is an extremely tourist-friendly city. All the tourist destinations here are connected by railway. The JR railway lines form a circle in Tokyo.
After freshening up at your apartment, set out for the first destination- The Senso-ji Temple. The nearest station is Asakusa. Senso- ji is a Buddhist temple related to its Tendai sect. Just beside it is a Shinto Shrine, also called Asakusa Shrine. Just a walk from the Asakusa Station is the first gate of the temple, called Hazarimon or ‘thunder gate’ with a huge red lantern in the centre and figures of gods at each side. Entry to this spot is free. Leading from this gate to the second one is a shopping street called ‘Nakamise’. It is the perfect spot to buy souvenirs and taste Japanese food. I was pleasantly surprised to find green tea ice cream here. It was a different concept for me, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Men and women dressed in the traditional Japanese dress, Kimono, flock about. The air smells sweet owing to the cherry blossoms in full bloom. The shrine is grand from the inside. It looks like a mosaic of red, black and golden. There are a couple of other shrines too other than the main one. After paying your respects to the deity in the sanctum, we head to our second Destination, Ueno Zoological Gardens. The nearest Station to Ueno Zoological gardens is Ueno. It is closed on Mondays and the entry fee is 600 Yen. Be it the Arctic, Amazon Rainforests or the wilderness of Africa and India, one can find creatures from all corners of the world there. We can safely invest about 2 hours to explore the area and soak in its aura. After getting your dose of nature, we head to a place which is quite the opposite.
Our next spot is Akihabara Electric town. Akihabara station being the closest one, it is accessible directly through the JR line. Bright Neon Skylights and displays virtually teleport you to a world which is alien to the earth as we know it. You can treat yourself here to some Soba or Udon, both staple Japanese noodles. It will be subtly dark by the time you leave Akihabara. It is the perfect time to visit the TOKYO SKYTREE, from where the city looks bejewelled at night. The TOKYO SKYTREE stands tall at 634 metres and is the tallest Broadcasting Tower which is free- standing in the world. The highest we can go up in the structure is 450 metres. This floor is called the Tembo Galleria. The option of a lower level is available in the form of Tembo Deck standing at 350 metres of the SKYTREE’s height. The entry fee for this level is 2,060 Yen. What lies in wait at this floor is a spectacle to behold. At this position things down under look like minute granules. The city sprawled in front of your eyes will make you pinch yourself to get back to ground state. One can see the Sumida River, the Tokyo Tower and many such landmarks of the city from here. After taking in the sight to your heart’s content, we head back to our apartment. My experience of Tokyo will remain etched in my conscience forever. Every individual must pay a visit to this beautiful nation at least once in their lifetime.
Tips:
Adjust your watches according to Japanese Standard Time (JST), which is three and a half hours ahead of Indian Standard Time (IST).
While walking on a bridge over the Sumida River, you may spot some Jellyfish swimming by if you are lucky.
Entering the alleys of the Nakamise of Senso- ji Temple, you will enter a shopping haven where products will be on sale and you will get great discount on various items.
If Japanese food is not your thing, you can buy your lunch or dinner from ‘Konbini’ or the numerous convenience stores which contain all food items you could ever think of. Some of them are open all day and night long, for seven days a week.
Have you ever been to tokyo? It’ should be on must visit list of everyone. Plan a trip to Tokyo with the help of eChutti and share your experience in travel blogs.
It was my twenty-first birthday and I was (of course) very eager to step into a new phase of life. My parents (they are the best) decided to make this a birthday to remember by taking me to a trip to one of those places that are yet to be invaded by the ever-increasing Indian Population — Andaman!! The Sea was calling me; and I had to go!!! As the marked date on the calendar closed in, my happiness knew no bounds and it all heightened when I saw the mesmerising green islands for the first time, tucked in the bluest of the blue ocean; from that tiny air-plane window.
The next ten days that followed, were, cliched as it might sound; the best days of my life!! Now, this wasn’t going to be one of those lazy trips. We had planned out a series of adventure sports and multiple island- hopping; to experience the maximum of what Andaman had to offer. A day-to-day journal will make this too long for our fickle minds; I am going to take you through the highlights of my trip. MY FIRST DATE WITH THE OCEAN: As soon as we checked into the hotel, I followed the sound of waves and it got me to the terrace. And the magnificent view of the ocean made me speechless. CELLULAR JAIL: That afternoon, we visited the infamous Cellular Jail of Port Blair. The museum, the various models of different punishment and the spine-chilling tales in the ‘Light and Sound’ show will force you to re-think all the incredible things our forefathers had done to ensure we would live in an independent nation!!
THAT MUCH-AWAITED CRUISE: We had our ship to Havelock Islands at 7am. Though I have been on the cruise-ride in Goa, this was my first time in a luxury ship (for five hours that too) and I was jumping with joy! After hours of checking and bagging submission and seat-searching, the whistle finally blew and we were off the coast! The first half an hour was really exciting, with everyone pushing everyone else to secure a place on the deck. And the sun began to show us its (warm) love and the Ship-officials shooing us off the deck, most of the passengers retreated to their cosy chairs and dozed off. The same thing was repeated in the last half an hour of the journey, with the ship approaching the giant Havelock. I couldn’t wait to step onto that island. Now, a warning for all the future-travellers, Port Blair are the only island with network coverage. Every other island has extremely poor network coverage (BSNL users, you are in luck, though!)
THE SUNSET YOU NEED TO EXPERIENCE: There will be moments in your life which will be so perfect that you would hope that time come to a standstill. Sunset by the ocean is one such moment. All those hundreds of curious tourists (noisy children included) turned numb as the mighty waters gulped the Sun. No words, phrases or photographs can do justice to the beauty I experienced.
YES! SCUBA DIVING!!!: We all have our bucket list! You might not have penned them down, but you do have a list in your mind, correct? Scuba-Diving is one of things on my list. Having already ticked off skiing and bungee jumping from my previous travels, this was one that I was eagerly waiting for. And the icing on the cake?? It was my birthday too!! Now scuba-diving might sound frightening. Well, It is not!! My parents and I, clad in the scuba-suits, shoes, belts with weights (Yes, these are a little heavy) and masks; swam into the water. Our guides gave us an hour of training. We were then given our oxygen cylinders and we started our journey towards the corals!! There are certain experiences which make your life worth living; this two-hour dive was one such experience. Yes, an experience of a lifetime! The corals (they are of millions of types, shapes and colours), the fish (we saw at least thirteen types), the giant turtles (these were so scary I ran for my life when I saw one of them approaching me) showed us how truly beautiful Nature is . That entire night, we could not stop talking about the unbelievable thing we had experienced and the incredible sea-life!
READY. SET. ADVENTURE!!: What is a visit to an island without engaging in water sports? Banana-rides, speed-boats, water-skiing, snorkeling, sea-walking — I did them all in Neil Island (made me feel like those Fox Traveller people)
OF CAVES AND VOLCANOES: The journey to the Limestone Caves and the Mud Volcano was the most challenging. It involves a car-journey,taking a ship (these ships even have Buses and Cars as their passengers), then another smaller ship and finally a speed boat. The journey doesn’t end there. This is followed by an hour of hike through an wooden bridge, followed by mangroves, a tiny hamlet and one rocky pasture. I won’t lie. I loved this journey more than the destination. The mangroves, shady forest areas, the wobbly bridge, tiny rest-rooms in between and the tiny village- it was an adventure on its own!! DEER? DEER!! When our driver told us Ross island is known for its deer and peacocks, I imagined ten/twelve of them, roaming about in cages. When I reached there, my my, weren’t we all taken aback!! There were about hundreds of deer, roaming all over the place like cows roam about in green pastures. The peacocks were all over the trees. We even saw two of them riding on the deer’s backs!! Yes, every thing about Andaman is going to make you love the place even more!!
SEA-FOOOOOOOOOOOD: The multiple Os made my love for food pretty clear, I guess! Well, as my father rightly says, you have never really visited a place if you have not tasted its local cuisine. So we made it a point to try whatever sea-food we could lay our eyes on — varieties of crabs and fish (The restaurants would not even tell us the names, they said they cooked whatever fish they would catch in their nets!!)
THE SURPRISE ELEMENT: Jarawas are the indigenous natives of Andaman, of African origin, who live in tribes in two major parts of the islands. They have shunned all communication with the outer world (although the Government has made considerable improvement by giving them clothes and medical help) and they speak a language totally different from us. They live the nomadic life, feeding on animals and fruits and rarely come in-front of the human civilisation. Gives you chills, right? Hence, you can only imagine my excitement when we embarked on your journey to their ‘part’ of the island. Photography is strictly prohibited and nobody is even allowed to step out of their cars. You cannot even slow down your car or stop it anywhere along the entire road. The area is off-limit after sunset, as these tribals are not used to artificial lights and consider them their enemies. To be able to see them, is purely based on luck (and chance). It is a four journey. More than three hours had passed and we had completely given up on the idea of seeing the tribals. And then, completely out of the blue, we saw four individuals, standing by the road,staring at the passers-by. Their bodies were covered with white painted dots, and they were only wearing barks and giant leaves to cover their privates. They were crossing the forest to collect wood for cooking, our driver informed us. It was a scene right out of Discovery Channel and we could only stare at them, in absolute awe. Scuba-diving, Sunsets or treks; nothing came close to the realisation that there, in the 21st Century, still exist people who hunt their food and wear leaves around their waists. To think that the world is more than Cell-phones and Internet, Movies and Books, science and technology. To see with the naked eye the nomads whom I had only seen on the TV. This trip made me think about life and our way of living it differently. Because I was away from the continuous Whatsapp and Facebook notifications for over an week, I understood the real joys of life. And most importantly, the ginormous ocean re-inforced the idea that we humans are but puny creatures in front of nature and no matter how many satellites we send to outer space or apps we develop, Nature will always have the upper-hand!!
Andaman Islands are breathtaking coastline to relax and chill out in sun. Been to Andaman? Share your travel experience on travel blog. If not use eChutti travel guide and plan it soon.
